Do you hate having an annoyingly loud zipper? A loud zipper can really make your skin crawl so knowing how to fix one can be very important. I have found some of the best ways to fix a zipper and written about them below.
A person can make their zipper quieter by using wax as a lubricant for their zipper. Another option is using a paracord to suppress the sound of the zipper to make it quiet. If those two options don’t work a person can always replace their zipper with a plastic zipper which tends to be quieter.
Overall, there are lots of ways to fix a zipper depending on what is causing your zipper to be loud. Luckily all of the options are very easy. Read on to learn which zipper repair option is best for you.
Lubrication
The easiest method is to lubricate your zipper. Oftentimes zippers as they get older get tighter together from being washed in a washing machine or natural elements have caused your zipper to lose its smoothness.
This causes your zipper to rub more when being zipped. Therefore, a way to fix this problem is to help your zipper not to rub against each other when being zipped up.
The great thing about this option is that if your zipper is having problems due to age and rust then it probably is not just loud, but it also will be a bit stiff. If your zipper is stiff then lubing your zipper should fix that issue as well.
There are several different ways you can lubricate your zipper, but the more common way is with wax. If you need a quick and easy solution you can just use candle wax.
You can go ahead and grab your matches and let your candle burn for a while and use a popsicle stick or some other long item to pick up the melted wax and smear it on your zipper. This will work really well for your zipper.
If you want the best results, though, surf wax is what you need. Surf wax is a fairly cheap option. You can usually find it online for around $3. Therefore if a zipper you use frequently is getting annoying buying surf wax might be the best option for you.
Plastic Zipper
Some zippers are just to difficult fix. This means you are going to have to replace your zipper. This may sound like a daunting task, but sewing a zipper is a relatively easy task that anyone should be able to do.
First, you are going to want to make sure you get a plastic zipper. Plastic zippers are the quietest type of zipper and therefore, they will be what you need.
You can find zippers at any fabric or craft store. Make sure that you measure out how long the zipper you want to replace is so you can get the same sized zipper in the store.
Once you have bought your zipper you are going to use a seam ripper to rip out your old zipper. Once the zipper is removed you will flip your fabric inside out and place the zipper facing away from you. You are going to use a regulation stitch to sew the zipper on all four ends.
Make sure when you are going around the corners that you backstitch and drop your stitch length down to secure it tighter. Once you have done that you are done.
If you are still very nervous about sewing your own zipper on you can go to a tailor. You will be surprised to find how many tailors are near you. Bring your old zipper to the tailor and they should be able to help you replace it.
Paracord
Now sometimes a zipper makes noise because the pulling metal is hitting the zipper metal. If this is the case then we are going to go all boy scout on your zipper and use some paracord. There are two different ways to use paracord to fix this issue.
The first way is to get a pair of snips. What you are going to do is snip away the metal pull on your zipper. Be careful, because you do not wish to damage your zipper or the material it is holding together.
Once you have removed the pull you are going to strengthen the paracord through the zipper loop that will be left over and tie a knot into it. The sturdier the knot the better, so feel free to get creative with this part.
Another option is if your metal pull has holes on both ends of it you can, instead of snipping off the metal snip, string your paracord through your metal pull. You are going to start on the bottom of your zipper and then string it through the top.
This is going to put a layer of material between the metal zipper and the metal pull. This will mute the friction and allow you to be able to pull your zipper without making a lot of noise.
Pull Kits
Another option to fix your zipper if the metal pull is causing the noise is to replace your metal pull with a pull that uses a plastic tap. Now how does one get their hands on one of these magic pulls? There is an easy way actually – it is with a zipper pull kit.
Zipper pull kits come with all the tools you are going to need to replace your zipper. They come with the snips and the new pull and they will also come with instructions on how to replace your zipper.
It is really easy to replace your zipper with a zipper pull kit, though. All you have to do is remove the metal pull.
Once you have done that you are going to thread a side of the pull string through your zipper hole. After your pull string is through the zipper hole you are going to level the length out and put the plastic tab into place.
